


the empty space beside me

by solohux



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Hurt Armitage Hux, Kidnapping, M/M, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Kylo Ren, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28292232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solohux/pseuds/solohux
Summary: General Hux has been kidnapped. Holo-photographs of his torture have been sent to the First Order to persuade them to pay his ransom. Kylo Ren doesn't take kindly to any of it.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 25
Kudos: 222
Collections: Kylux Secret Santa 2020





	the empty space beside me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ArsTyrannus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArsTyrannus/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, [@arstyrannus](http://arstyrannus.tumblr.com/)! ❤️ Thank you so much for all of the amazing pieces of art that you share with the fandom and for all the times that your work & headcanons have made me smile. You're brilliant! I hope you enjoy this fic!
> 
> It also includes a scene for some of your previously drawn art, I hope that's okay! It's this one [that features some good ol' hurt Hux.](https://arstyrannus.tumblr.com/post/622823012702568448/my-favourite-trope-for-todays-kylux-positivity#notes). I love angst and hurt/comfort so this fic was a lot of fun to write!
> 
> Enough of my rambling! Please enjoy some Hux whump and some protective Kylo!

When the six-figure ransom note for General Hux finally reaches the First Order, Kylo Ren laughs.

The criminals responsible for the kidnapping are obviously deluded; Snoke and High Command will certainly _not_ be paying any sort of money for the return of their most irritating officer, especially not such a sum of money that would tremendously dent the First Order’s bank accounts. Officers like Hux are entirely replaceable in Kylo’s opinion; there’s always another weasel to step into the boots of one that meets an untimely end, a faceless and nameless robot designed to serve the First Order from behind an icy expression. They aren’t warriors like Kylo, who actually _fight_ for what they believe in, just insignificant people who hide behind datapads. Embarrassing. If only the Supreme Leader didn’t have so much faith in the _one_ man who gets under Kylo’s skin more than any other person on board the _Finalizer_.

Armitage Hux is a consistent thorn in Kylo’s side, one that manages to keep coming back with even more of a sting every time, embedding itself deeper in his skin to cause him pain and irritation. Whenever Kylo looks to his side, Hux is always _there_ with his quick retorts and fact-based points to try to belittle Kylo and trounce him in whatever petty argument they’re engaging in. The Master Knight would never question Snoke’s choices—not aloud, anyway—but he doesn’t hide the fact that he disagrees with the Supreme Leader’s faith in Hux.

Though unfortunately, Hux is yet to slip up. He’s a perfect officer in every way, much to Kylo’s dislike. He’s punctual, he’s organised, he’s ruthless, he’s clever and cunning like a hungry fox. He never makes mistakes.

Until now.

Rebellious pirates have General Hux in their hold, intercepting him and his planet-side exploration crew from their simple surveying mission to Ilum. Project Starkiller—or ‘ _Hux’s baby’_ as some officers call it—is in its preliminary stages of construction, kept a secret from the rest of the galaxy by careful planning and protection by the First Order’s finest scouts and guards. Since he’s the ‘brains’ behind the project, Hux had taken a crew of three scientists and four stormtroopers to Ilum’s icy surface to investigate the grounds in which the base’s oscillator is being built on—but never arrived. Colonel Datoo had reported the crew’s absence from the surface an hour after their initial ETA, contacting Commander Ren to tell him of the General’s disappearance.

General Hux is _never_ late. Alarm bells had rang from that moment but without any evidence of foul play or even a _lead,_ the First Order could do nothing about their missing General. Snoke had been disappointed, concerned, but wouldn’t advise Kylo on what to do. ‘ _Time will tell,’_ the old creature had said before his hologram fizzled out before Kylo’s eyes and left the Knight alone in the holochamber. It was as though Snoke _knew_ what was coming.

The ransom request arrives via coded message to the _Finalizer_ four days after Hux’s party goes missing, accompanied by holophotos of the torture that they’re putting the First Order’s poster boy through. And they’re _graphic._ The rest of Hux’s exploration crew are dead, and Hux looks as though he may be close to the grave himself.

Kylo is on the bridge when the images are sent to them, and he commands Lieutenant Mitaka to open them and project them here. The shy officer obeys and clicks a few buttons on his console before the holophotos are presented to the entire bridge in high definition. There are gasps of shock and of horror, a few officers even look away with tears in their eyes at the state of their beloved General. Kylo would be impressed at their loyalty if he weren’t so affected by the photos himself.

Kylo hadn’t expected himself to react in any way but with scoffing and dismissal, perhaps even amusement that the stuck-up General has been taken down a much needed peg or two by someone with a vibroblade but as he looks at the images of Hux in his ripped uniform and strung up in chains by his wrists and a collar around his neck, nothing but anger fills Kylo’s veins. His fists clench and nearby objects rattle with the projection of his rage through the Force whilst the series of photographs flick through like a vacation slideshow. The greatcoat added a lot of bulk to Hux’s body, Kylo deduces as he takes in the thin and bony frame of the man he thought he hated. Blood and bruising stains Hux’s pale skin that’s on show through the rips in his uniform, purple-shaped handprints mark his throat around the collar, his head hangs limply as he obviously teeters in the edge of unconsciousness, his neck somewhat ‘supported’ by the collar and chain around his neck. Kylo can almost hear his cries of pain and the laughter of his captors.

No, this isn’t right. Kylo grits his teeth with that thought in mind, thinking of the pompous General who reigned by his side and compares that to the man he sees before him, ruined and lost. It’s difficult to believe that they’re the same person.

The Knight seethes quietly with his fists clenched; Hux is one of _his_ people whether he likes it or not. They’re on the same side, part of the same crew. He’s Snoke’s _other_ favourite, High Command’s first choice for almost everything, the face of the First Order and, most importantly of all, he’s Kylo’s co-commander.

Kylo can’t help but look to his left, finding an empty space where there should be a tall, ginger officer. The lack of his presence is almost becoming disturbing, Kylo finds, letting his gaze leave his side and look back at the holophotos, grimacing behind the hidden safety of his mask when he sees the image of Hux’s head being yanked back by one of the hooded kidnappers to show off his bruised and collared throat to the camera.

The space that Hux once occupied beside Kylo has been empty for too long. And as much as Kylo loathes the good General, Hux undoubtedly belongs on the bridge of their star destroyer.

That very evening, the search begins. Kylo begins to plan a recovery mission without the Supreme Leader or High Command’s permission in fear of reprimand but it comes as a surprise to him when both parties in question praise him for his efforts to retrieve General Hux and bring those treacherous kidnappers to the justice of the First Order.

But it’s another three days of tracking and desperate hunting before Kylo and his ghoulish Knights of Ren manage to capture one of the pirates’ ex-members and interrogate him on the whereabouts of their hideout. Even when he’s strapped to the interrogation chair, bleeding and dizzy, the fool tries to fight Kylo’s mind-probing and ends up with a vacant head as a result, eyes glassy and body numb. The Knights leave him to die. They have what they need from him; the location of the pirates’ base.

A twenty hour journey to the Outer Rim brings Hux’s total time in captivity to almost five days, and each passing hour has made Kylo’s yearning for his rescue stronger and stronger until he can concentrate on nothing else but getting Hux back to the _Finalizer_ and back to the helm of the bridge where he belongs.

It’s what any noble co-commander would do, Kylo thinks as he charges his way through the underground hideout with his Knights flanking him. What sort of ally would he be if he’d left Hux to die here? The General’s return is for the good of the Order, for the galaxy that awaits his rule one day.

It most certainly isn’t because Kylo misses the only person in the galaxy whom he would consider a friend.

Hux is unconscious when Kylo finds him. He’s in the same strung-up position as he was in the threatening holophotos, chained to the ceiling by bonds on his wrists and a collar around his neck; if it weren’t for his restraints, he’d be in a comatose heap on the floor. A patchy beard has grown in Hux’s captivity and his usually-neat hair is damp with blood and tousled in such a _un-Hux-like_ state that it horrifies Kylo to see. His skin looks an ashen grey colour from neglect, his lips are so chapped that the skin has begun to peel and his breath is croaky and ragged—the quiet sound fills the room like an aggressive claxon. Kylo’s rage is a storm; his connection to the dark side is so strong after slaughtering the pirates that the chains holding Hux’s limp body completely shatter like glass as soon as Kylo enters the dimly lit room. The tiny shards of metal float in the air around them both as the collar clicks open and falls to the ground with a harsh clang before the glass follows suit and crashes to the ground like deadly rainfall.

He’s already by Hux’s side before the wounded man can fall to the ground.

Kylo sighs as soon as Hux’s body is in his arms, relief flooding his dark mind like a burst dam and allowing him to reach out into the General’s mind to check on his mental state, hoping for minimal damage. Just as he suspected, the scarring of torture isn’t just on his pale skin but it’s in his mind too, haunted and tormented by the pain and suffering of the past five days. Even just a few moments in the General’s memory is enough to make Kylo gasp and flinch; he regrets killing the pirates so quickly.

But Kylo’s probing brings Hux out of his unconscious state with a groan and a jolt, one that clearly causes him pain as he grits his teeth and tries to curl in on himself.

“Easy, easy, Hux,” Kylo says, wishing that he didn’t have his helmet on so that his voice didn’t sound so intimidating. “Don’t move too much.”

Hux frowns, squinting and trying to get his one good eye to focus properly since the other is so bruised that it’s swollen shut but he manages, blinking quickly until the image of his saviour comes into view.

“Ren?” The clipped voice that Kylo is so used to hearing scold him and curse him is now hoarse and abused but it’s still a relief to Kylo’s ears. “Why…?”

“Why, what?”

“You,” Hux says exhaustedly. “You’re here?”

“I doubt that you’d be seeing me, of all people, as a mirage, General,” Kylo says, deadpan. He unclips his cape from his shoulders and drapes it around Hux’s trembling form, wrapping him up in a safe little bundle.

“Snoke ordered you.”

“No,” Kylo shakes his head, making sure that most of Hux’s body is covered up, dabbing away blood that drips down from a gash on his arm. “My decision.”

“I don’t understand.” Hux makes no attempt to stop Kylo’s fussing, instead using all of his remaining energy to frown. “You would have left me to die. You hate me. “

“I do.” Kylo stands up with Hux in his arms, cradled with more grace than even Kylo thought he possessed. “Just like you hate me.”

“Indeed. So, why are you here?”

Suddenly, Kylo is glad of his helmet. He wishes he could tell Hux the truth about seeing him as a friend and having missed having him beside him on the bridge and having been worried for him but instead, he hides behind his mask in more ways than one.

“Paperwork,” Kylo shrugs. “Your death would have meant that I get all of the admin. Or that I’d have to interview for a replacement. I’d rather not put myself through the torture of talking to your lackeys. Dealing with _you_ is bad enough.”

Hux is silent for a moment so Kylo looks down at him to see a faint smile on his lips.

“I see, Ren,” Hux sighs, hiding a smirk. “So this rescue is a purely selfish deed?”

“Exactly. I would have loved nothing better than to have you gone from my life forever.”

“Careful, Ren,” Hux raises an eyebrow, snuggling in closer to Kylo’s warm, strong chest. “That sounds like a threat to your superior.”

“We’re equals.”

“ _Of course_ we are. My mistake.”

“And as your equal, I suggest that you stay in my chambers this evening where I can monitor your health and make sure that you don’t perish in the night.”

Hux takes a long moment to answer but projects a desperate ‘ _don’t leave me alone_ ’ from the most wounded part of his heart.

“How considerate of you, Master Ren,” Hux mutters, closing his eyes to sleep and resting his head upon the Knight’s shoulder. “Perhaps I shall take you up on your offer. Medbay has terribly uncomfortable beds.”

“Indeed.”

“And I _suppose_ ,” Hux says slowly. “That we have a lot to catch up on.”

“A lot of bickering,” Kylo smiles. “And hating.”

“Yes. I look forward to it.”

“Me too, Hux.”

Hux falls asleep just as they reach the ship and board it, setting off to the Finalizer with one of Kylo’s Knight’s piloting their shuttle; Kylo has his arms full for the entire journey back.

His heart no longer feels empty.

|…………..|

Just as ordered, General Hux is brought straight to Commander Ren’s rooms for treatment.

Once the _Night Buzzard_ has landed victoriously in the _Finalizer’_ s hangar bay and the Knights all disembark, Kylo follows them with their rescued comrade resting gracefully in his arms. Hux had passed out not long after departure from the pirate’s base, managing to keep sips of water down that Kylo fed him but the trauma and blood loss of the last few days were clearly getting too much for Hux’s consciousness and so he had passed out in Kylo’s arms, though the Knight had made sure to hold him safely until they were home.

“Medic!” Kylo bellows as soon as his boots hit the polished floor of the hangar, furious that there isn’t a team of doctors _waiting_ for them to return.

“They’re on their way, sir!” An ensign salutes, just as the rest of the officers and stormtroopers around them do once they catch sight of their severely injured General. He may look to be at peace whilst cradled in Kylo’s arms but the bruising around his neck and his torn and bloodied uniform tell a completely different story, declaring all that needs to be known about Hux’s days as a prisoner.

As informed, a team of medics—two humans and three droids—rush across the hangar bay with a hover-stretcher in tow, and Kylo is _so_ gentle in placing Hux down on top of it, allowing himself a moment of weakness in brushing his fingers against Hux’s forehead, moving stray hairs away from his closed eyes.

“Get him to a bacta tank,” Kylo orders. “Now!”

“Yes, sir!”

“You!” Kylo uses the Force to grab one of the medics by the scruff of their uniform, bringing them close until their nose is almost pressed against the front of his mask. “Keep me informed on his condition. If _anything_ happens to him then I will _personally_ see to your punishment. Understood?”

The medic swallows hard, sweat on their brow, “Yes, Master Ren.”

With a hard shove, Kylo releases them and they scurry off, following the stretcher out of the hangar bay and towards the turbolift where they all enter, where Kylo gets a glimpse of one of the little droids scanning Hux before one of them opens the front of Hux’s uniform to access his chest to check his wounds there—then the door shuts. The hangar bay staff all resume their work in quiet respect, leaving Kylo standing in the middle of them like a statue, bereft.

The solitary wait in his chambers is agony.

Kylo paces like a caged, helmeted animal, walking back and forth from the foot of his bed to the wall and back again with his mind racing in a concoction of thoughts—though they’re _all_ about Hux.

The General could have died at the hands of those pirates, so desperate to get money that they would risk the kidnap of the First Order’s most prolific officer, one of their _best_ and brightest men in the entire fleet—Kylo stops himself, feeling a warm sensation spread through his gut as though there are winged creatures fluttering inside of him all of a sudden. What _is_ this? His mind is awash with worried thoughts of Hux but his heart is thrumming with a desperate need to see him again, even just for a moment to check on him.

The Force spikes with a presence of someone important outside of the door, and Kylo spins on his heel just in time to see a few droids and a medic entering his chambers with Hux laying upon a clean hoverbed, tucked in and resting well.

“As per your request, Commander,” the medic says in their timid voice. Kylo rolls his eyes at their incompetence. “We’ve brought the General to you.”

“Put him in the bed,” he orders, inclining his head, his voice sounding like a growl through the vocoder of his menacing mask. Whilst the droids beep in obedience and carry Hux over to his sleeping arrangements for the night, Kylo keeps his gaze locked on the medic. “I want a report on his status.”

“Yes, sir,” the medic says nothing else but instead, hands Kylo their datapad. Kylo snatches it.

> _‘Patient Name: Armitage Brendol Wilhuff Hux_
> 
> _Rank: General_
> 
> _Age: 30_
> 
> _Homeworld: Arkanis_
> 
> _Father: Commandant Brendol Hux (Status: deceased)_
> 
> _Mother: <<ENTRY DELETED>>_
> 
> _Other Known Family Members: <<ENTRY DELETED>>_
> 
> _List of current injuries sustained:_
> 
> _\- Contusions of the neck from likely strangulation_
> 
> _\- Contusions of the torso_
> 
> _\- Three fractured ribs_
> 
> _\- Dislocated shoulder—aligned upon assessment_
> 
> _\- Damage to left eye socket—sight to be assessed upon patient’s waking_
> 
> _\- Two fractured fingers_
> 
> _\- Damage to both wrists from likely cuffed and suspension for long period of time…'_

Kylo stops reading. The list goes on for the rest of the page but he can’t bring himself to read it. If only he’d been quicker in his search for Hux, if only his bitterness for the General hadn’t dominated his thoughts, then perhaps Hux could have been spared such grievous injuries.

“Forgive me, Master Ren,” the medic stutters. “But are you sure that you want the General to be left here? He’d be safer in the medical wing—”

“My orders are _final,_ ” Kylo snarls, stomping his foot in defiance. “Leave one of the droids with me and then that will be all. Get out.”

The timid medic doesn’t need to be told twice. They rush to the door without uttering another word and their two droids follow them whilst the first deactivates by Hux’s bedside, sitting in stand-by mode until it’s needed.

The rooms fall silent. Kylo freezes to the ground again, suddenly afraid to look over his shoulder in case of another rush of strange, protective feelings once he sees the damage done to his co-commander at the hands of those pirates. It can’t be any worse than what Kylo saw on the holophotos, though he fears the same reaction will weaken him again.

Bravely, he turns.

The medics have done a fine job in cleaning Hux up to make him look more like himself; they’ve chopped his hair and shaved his beard, making him look as smart as he possibly could in the aftermath of violent torture. However, the blood stains may be gone but there’s still a plethora of bruises that mark his pale skin like a tragic painting, blossoming petals on his neck and around his face, sitting particularly heavily around his left eye. And no doubt, under the black bedsheets, there’ll be a bacta-bandage around Hux’s torso to help heal his wounds. From the feel of his mind through the Force, the medics have injected Hux with a _lot_ of pain medication.

And just as before, seeing his _only_ ‘friend’ in such a dishevelled and abused state sends pangs of anger through Kylo’s veins.

“Ren?” Hux’s voice is weak and quiet; the complete _opposite_ of what it usually is. The bruising around his throat is particularly nasty and Kylo can still see the marks of where the collar was, no doubt, strangling him.

“I’m here, General,” Kylo approaches the bed with caution, pulling his desk chair to his palm with the Force to sit down.

Hux blinks hard, only managing to open his good eye, “Where…am I?”

“You’re back on the _Finalizer._ In my chambers.”

“Your…? Ow. My head.”

“Don’t move,” Kylo urges, leaning forward in his chair. Through the visor of the helmet, he burrows his gaze into Hux’s skull in the hopes of persuading him to do as he says. “The pain killers will kick in soon. Until then, lie still.”

“Kriff. They kidnapped me. Those _kriffing_ pirates!”

“They’re dead. You don’t have to worry about them ever again.”

Hux moans in pain, lifting his hand to his forehead to rub it as though nursing the galaxy’s worse migraine. He stares up at the ceiling with a squint as though piecing back the last few days’ worth of events, “You. You came to save me.”

Kylo hesitates. He doesn’t know why; it is the _truth_ after all.

“I did,” he says. “Me and my Knights.”

“I remember.” The General stares at his hand, looking at the two fingers that are strapped together in bandaging. “They tortured me. They told me they were going to kill me slowly because no one would ever come for me.”

“They were wrong.”

“I’m trained to withstand torture,” he says, zoning out as though remembering the obviously _traumatic_ training that he’s speaking of. “But…kriff. They tested me.”

Kylo doesn’t need the Force to be able to sense the pain in Hux’s soul; in fact, he can see it shining in his eyes, threatening to spill in the form of anguished tears but he’s fighting them back. A gentle probing of his mind tells Kylo that he’s thinking about how he _failed_ by being captured and failed by _screaming_ as he was beaten and battered by his kidnappers. Strangely, the voice in Hux’s mind who is chastising him for his weakness sounds a lot like the old Commandant, Hux’s father.

“My crew?” Hux asks quietly, drawing Kylo out of his probing. “The ones I chose for the mission to Ilum.”

Kylo bites his lip. He can’t lie, he’d be found out. “Dead. The pirates killed them on sight.”

Hux screws his eyes shut in woe. “Dammit.”

“There was nothing you could have done, Hux,” Kylo tries to comfort, suddenly rethinking his previous views that all of the officers are expandable, replaceable. Hux’s grief for the lost lives of his crew members is palpable in the air around them, thick and gloomy like a fog in the Force. He tries to change the subject. “You should try to sleep, General. You’re on a lot of pain medication.”

“Is that why everything feels _floaty_?”

“I’m guessing so,” Kylo huffs, chuckling quietly to himself. “You just need to rest.”

Hux seems to relax for a moment, sighing as he closes his eyes and looks as though he’s about to drift off to sleep but he doesn’t, opening his eyes again and turning his head to stare intensely at Kylo.

“Can I ask you something, Master Ren?”

Kylo inwardly panics at what a drugged-up Hux could possibly want to ask him that he would need _permission_ first but he remains calm, “If you must.”

“Why have you still got that damned helmet on?” Hux groans, clearly frustrated and obviously a little high from the pain medication now. “Do you _sleep_ in it?”

“No,” Kylo replies, deadpan. “I keep my face hidden as much as possible. Stops the preconceptions. Keeps the reputation.”

“Preconceptions?”

“I’m…younger than most people think.”

“How young?”

“Younger than you.”

Hux gasps, offended, “You don’t know how old I am.”

“You’re 30.”

“Kriff. Alright. Fine. But you’d choose to live your life behind a mask to save people from making snap judgements about you?”

Kylo shrugs, “I guess so.”

“I don’t think anything could ruin your reputation, Master Ren,” Hux shrugs too. “I may _loathe_ you but I can appreciate your power and skill.”

“Why, General Hux,” Kylo places a hand over his heart. “I think that’s the kindest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“It’s the only kind thing I’ll ever say to you, Ren. Treasure it.”

‘ _I will,’_ Kylo thinks to himself, allowing himself to smile and _take_ the compliment from his co-commander. The warm, fluttering feeling is back in his gut, swelling and pulsing but in the nicest possible way, growing stronger the more he looks at Hux’s wounded face.

With robust certainty, Kylo lifts his hands to the sides of his helmet and lifts the clasps of it until it loosens and he’s able to pull it off in one swift movement. His dark hair falls back into place perfectly—with a little aid from the Force—around his face to make sure none of his obscures his vision; he wants to see Hux’s reaction upon seeing his face _for the first time._

Hux is _mesmerised;_ his staring makes Kylo feel incredibly uncomfortable but he resists the urge to cover his face like a shy maiden in the presence of a suitor—though that is _very much_ how Kylo feels right now, as exemplified by the blush that’s spreading across his cheeks.

“This may be the medication talking,” Hux says, swallowing hard. “But you’re _beautiful._ ”

“You’re right,” Kylo scoffs. “It’s the drugs.”

Hux titters, seemingly unable to tear his gaze away from Kylo’s face, “I’m afraid I need a closer inspection.”

“Of what?” Kylo raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, my. Your _voice_ even sounds better without the helmet,” Hux mutters but loud enough that Kylo hears. He’s _definitely_ a little high right now. “Of your face, Master Ren. As your _equal,_ I’m afraid I must insist on a closer look at you. Just to make sure.”

To _make sure_ of _what,_ Kylo isn’t certain but he finds himself swallowing hard. Suddenly, his reputation of a powerful, dark-side user seems _lightyears_ away from how he feels right now, blushing as he scoots from his seat and onto the side of the bed, laying one hand over Hux’s body to lean over him a little, bringing them as close together as they could be without Kylo actually getting _into_ bed with Hux. _One step at a time._

The air of silence is thick between them though not uncomfortable. Hux is still staring though he’s _studying_ this time, his gaze flickering from each of Kylo’s features in time. His nose, his lips, each individual mole, his ears and, lastly, his eyes. Both of them are lost when their eyes finally lock as though truly seeing each other for the first time; no bravado, no uniforms or titles, just Kylo and just Hux, the lonely souls finding home.

“Did I pass?” Kylo asks, finishing counting the freckles on Hux’s face.

“Hm?”

“The inspection. Did I pass?”

“Oh! I’m afraid not, Ren,” Hux says, brave enough to lift his hand to cup Kylo’s cheek. “You’re missing something, you see.”

“What?”

The hand on Kylo’s cheek guides him down until their lips meet, pressing together hesitantly until Kylo feels himself _melt_ against Hux’s touch. The kiss is shallow, purely superficial, but it’s like breaking free for Kylo, a release of his worried energy that he’s been holding inside of his heart since he first saw those holophotos of his injured General. There seems to be a fine line between love and hate, and the crossing of said line equates to one of the pair being kidnapped and wounded.

They break apart though it takes Kylo a moment to want to open his eyes, fearing that all of these good feelings are something from a dream and are going to float away once he wakes but a content sigh from Hux brings him back into reality, where everything is the same as his dream; Hux is radiant beneath him, despite his black eye and split lip.

“I hate you, Ren,” Hux says, smiling.

“I hate you more, Hux.”

“That’s why you came to save me, hm?”

“Exactly. Because I hate you so much.” Kylo searches for Hux’s hand—the one without any broken fingers—and grasps onto it tightly, finding that the gesture says all that he wants to say about _needing_ Hux beside him like falling rain on thirsty crops.

“You said that rescuing me was a selfish deed,” Hux says softly, one hand still resting on Kylo’s cheek, brushing back his fallen hair from his face.

“It was.”

“Because of the paperwork?”

Kylo smiles, “Something like that.”

They kiss again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! ❤️ It was a pleasure to write for [@arstyrannus](http://arstyrannus.tumblr.com/), they always inspire me with their work so to give something back is a lovely feeling.
> 
> I don't know how long these gift fics are going to be anonymous for so I won't put a link to my tumblr/twitter just yet!
> 
> But you can find ArsTyrannus here:  
> [tumblr](http://arstyrannus.tumblr.com/) // [twitter](https://twitter.com/arstyrannus?lang=en)// [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArsTyrannus/pseuds/ArsTyrannus)


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